City of Kent studies where at East Hill park to build YMCA

Kent city officials and the YMCA are getting closer to figuring out where the facility should go as Morrill Meadows and East Hill parks are combined.

City staff expects to have a proposal later this month after reviewing 124 survey responses from residents to three options about where to construct the YMCA on the site and what to include in the parks to tie in with the new building.

“Once we have a preliminary preferred concept, we will present it back out to the public to ask for their thoughts,” said Garin Lee, city interim parks co-director, in an email. “We continue to coordinate with the YMCA as the design of the community park and the building design are intertwined.”

Mayor Suzette Cooke and YMCA leaders last year signed a memorandum of understanding to build an estimated $25 million recreational facility and pool. A YMCA fundraising campaign will pay for the complex.

Construction of the first phase of the park renovations is expected to begin in 2017. The parks are along Southeast 248th Street, just east of 104th Avenue Southeast.

“It’s part of the city master plan and they’re deciding what works best for the park,” said Nathan Phillips, YMCA regional director for South King County, during a phone interview. “We want to make sure the YMCA aligns with the plan. We want to align the indoor services with the outdoor amenities.”

The city survey of residents looked at three options.

Option A, also called Natural Immersion, would build the facility closest to Southeast 248th Street and feature sports courts integrated with an expanded trail network, a picnic plaza and an outdoor classroom.

Option B, called Y on the Green, would centrally located the YMCA on the site and feature a three-season event plaza, outdoor exercise stations and a rock climbing wall.

Option C, called Art in the Park, would place the facility at the back of the site and feature art and cultural installations integrated into planting/seating area, space for arts festivals/events and sports/volleyball courts.

“For this stage of outreach we designed the survey to encourage people to share their thoughts on the three park design alternatives presented rather than simply vote on their favorite alternative,” Lee said. “The approach was successful from the viewpoint that the community gave input on individual elements of each plan that were desirable, concerning or submitted additional ideas.”

Volunteers for the Kent YMCA organized a couple of walks of the site to help people get an idea of what might go where. A final walk is scheduled for 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the covered area of the Morrill Meadows Park parking lot. Contact Laura Johnson at laurajohnson@seattleymca.org if you want to attend the tour.

“We are doing it as a courtesy to folks who are curious,” Phillips said. “People have great ideas about where things might go. We are doing it with our ears open.”

As far as fundraising for the new facility, Phillips said things are starting to get rolling.

“A capital campaign is a long process,” he said. “There is a formula and we are in the quiet phase now to build the foundation for the campaign.”

Phillips said updates about a kickoff to the public phase of the fundraising will be released in the next few months.

It will take about two to four years before the YMCA opens in Kent, Phillips said. He said the city processes are on track but the YMCA timeline will depend on how well fundraising goes. He said a local steering committee that has helped bring the YMCA to Kent also will play a key role in the capital campaign.